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World video travel guide
Lappeenranta Airport Celebrates 100,000 Ryanair Passengers
On Tuesday 15th November, Lappeenranta Airport celebrated its 100,000th Ryanair passenger. The 100,000th flyer was Mari Lipsanen of Lappeenranta, who arrived on Tuesday morning after a short weekend trip to Belgium. Ryanair, Lappeenranta Airport and Bergamo Tourism presented the lucky lady with a return flight from Lappeenranta to Milano (Bergamo) and three nights at the four-star Gombit hotel in the idyllic town of Bergamo.
Ryanair began flying from Lappeenranta to Dusseldorf in March 2010. Since then, it has added routes to Brussels (Charleroi) and Milano (Bergamo). Elina Hakkarainen, Ryanair\'s Sales and Marketing Executive for the Nordic Countries, views 100,000 passengers in under two years as a major achievement. She expects passenger numbers to keep growing in 2012.
Ms Hakkarainen points out that Ryanair has steadily grown its passenger numbers from month to month. \"Ryanair began flying from Lappeenranta under two years ago. You can now fly from Lappeenranta to three attractively priced destinations, in Belgium, Germany and Italy,\" she beams.
Air traffic brings 7.9 million euros per year to Lappeenranta region
Lappeenranta has developed air traffic in line with the city\'s strategy, in order to secure growth in the region\'s economy and excellent international accessibility.
Markus Lankinen, Managing Director of Lappeenranta Business Development Ltd (Lappeenrannan Seudun Yrityspalvelut), emphasises that good transport connections increase a region\'s attractiveness and passengers brought in by air connections promote economic growth. In addition to Ryanair\'s services, airBaltic flies between Lappeenranta and Riga.
According to an air traffic survey, air passengers will bring around 5.5 million euro to the Lappeenranta region in 2011. Air traffic provides an overall economic benefit to the region of around 7.9 million per year.
This evaluation is based on an air passenger survey performed in July 2011, a corresponding survey completed last autumn and a company questionnaire. TAK Oy (Research and Analysis Centre) carried out the research. According to new research carried out this July, the benefits of air traffic are growing due to higher passenger numbers. Passengers are also spending more money in Lappeenranta than before. Each passenger travelling outside South Karelia spends 140 euro in Lappeenranta during a return journey, which is 19 euros more than last autumn. In the main, air passengers buy groceries, clothes and household goods.
A record 12,729 air passengers used Lappeenranta Airport in October of this year. Research indicates that the total for the whole of 2011 will rise to around 120,000. Last year\'s total number of passengers was 61,100.
